Greene County’s Freedom Rock is now in place on the fairgrounds in Jefferson.

On Friday, the County Secondary Roads Department moved the 30,000-pound, granite rock into it’s location in the gravel parking lot north of the grain elevator on the west side of the fairgrounds. Jefferson VFW Post Commander Don Ihnken tells Raccoon Valley Radio his initial reaction when he first saw the rock.

“We were really excited. We had about three different rocks to choose from. One of them didn’t turn out real good, it would’ve been great but it was slate and it would’ve just broke apart every time it rained. But we had two other ones and this one seemed to be the most popular from the group that was out there.”

The rock was donated by Craig Flack of Flack Excavating in Jefferson. Flack says he was approached by Greene County Engineer Wade Weiss about selling them a rock and he said he wanted to donate it as his way to contribute to the project to honor the local veterans.

Freedom Rock Committee Chair Dawn Rudolph says there are three pictures they would like on the rock which includes the Medal of Honor Flag, which is designed by Bill Kendall; the motorcade for former President Dwight D. Eisenhower when he came through the county on Old Highway 30; and a depiction of local National Guard Armory soldiers who were prisoners of war during World War II.

It was announced earlier this month that artist Bubba Sorenson will be coming to Jefferson to paint the rock in October. Ihnken is challenging all communities in the county to meet or beat the $850 that was raised by the Friends of Rippey from their last fundraiser on August 13th.